


Inside Your Shelter

by TheSpaceCoyote



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Jack wants to help, M/M, Meet-Cute, Rhys has a bad day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 06:21:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14129955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSpaceCoyote/pseuds/TheSpaceCoyote
Summary: Rhys has had a terrible day, but maybe a chance meeting with a handsome alpha can turn it all around.





	Inside Your Shelter

**Author's Note:**

> I badly wanted to do the prompt “sit down. i’ll make some hot chocolate and fix you right up" with modern AU omegaverse Rhack! So here it is, enjoy! :)

It’d been quite some time since the universe had decided to punish Rhys with such an awful, miserable bitch of a day.

It wasn’t enough that it was raining. Rhys disliked the rain, considering it only fun if you were properly prepared for it, and somehow he always ended up forgetting his umbrella or finding a hole in his rain-boots whenever the weather decided to storm. Rain made biking to work impossible and bus rides all the more unpleasant,as he got packed into a small space with a crowd of other people smelling of grimy rainwater.

No, it wasn’t nearly enough that Rhys had to sit through an entire day of work with clothes soaked to the bone because he didn’t have the luxury of a car or the foresight to bring along rain-appropriate gear in his run to make the bus.

It wasn’t enough that he’d barely been able to make it through the work day without his personal life going to shit. He and Hugo had always been on-again off again, but this time Rhys had thought they could make it work. They’d been seeing each other more often, and Hugo had even taken him out on a couple of dates without Rhys needling him, but any hope at all had been snatched by the  _breakup text_  he’d received halfway through his lunch break.

It wasn’t even enough that he’d missed his bus thanks to rain-traffic glutting even the crosswalks in the blocks between the Atlas office and his stop.

No, he also had to  _trip_  in his desperate race towards the departing bus, time slowing down as he flailed through the air, his heel breaking and ankle snapping out from under him as he slammed to the wet concrete with a heavy grunt.

The gritty sidewalk ripped through the fabric of his jeans, skidding his knee stinging and bloody. Rhys gasped, his wrists smarting with pain from where he’d tried to break his fall, but it couldn’t compare to the pain now lancing through his rolled ankle.

Part of him wished he could stay motionless on the sidewalk, letting the weight of his horrible day win, but the pounding rain ceaselessly soaked him to the bone, so after a couple of desperate breaths he shakily pushed himself to his feet. The first few attempts to stand resulted in stumbling failure as his ankle and broken shoe protested, throwing off his balance and sending even sharper pain splintering through his leg.

He finally managed to hobble towards the covered bus stop, at this point just desperate to get out of the rain. He landed with a thunk against the cold metal bench, sitting and staring at the splattering raindrops in the gutter for a couple numb moments. The ceaseless sound of the storm against the overhang chipped away at his composure until he slowly curled up into a tight ball and began to cry.

* * *

Jack had always enjoyed the rain.

Usually he would drive his car to work, even with its proximity, but rainy days were so rare in Helios that today he’d decided to just hoof it and enjoy the way the rain pattered against his umbrella. It had provided a moment of peace and relaxation earlier before the work day had properly begun, and now, as he walked home in the storm, it helped him to unwind and relax so he could truly enjoy his Friday plans.

Those plans mostly involved dinner, wine, and a couple of hours of his favorite television programs that he needed to get caught up on. He’d stopped by the butchers shop earlier in the week and picked up a real nice cut of top sirloin that would pair nicely with the purple potato mash he’d snagged the recipe for and the pinot noir he’d just received from his monthly wine subscription. Nisha had gifted it to him as a bit of a joke, to poke fun at his recent promotion and nearly doubled salary, but he was really enjoying it. It gave him an excuse to cook something to pair alongside it anyway.

The thought of warm food and good wine carried him through the rain steadily pounding the sidewalk. He whistled pleasantly to himself as his rain-boots slapped through the puddles gathering in dips and cracks in the concrete, simultaneously enjoying the walk and eager to get home to his waiting dinner plans.

However, when he reached the block where his apartment complex sat, he found himself slowing to a stop in his tracks, his nostrils flaring as he picked up on a troubling scent.

Jack liked to think of himself pretty on top of the pack when it came to the informal alpha pecking order. He’d always had sharp instincts and an even sharper sense of smell that had served him well both in his professional and romantic life. He could sniff out fear and arousal in equal measure, so even through the smell of wet concrete and urban exhaust he could pick up on the scent of an omega in distress.

It didn’t take him long to zero in on the source. He sniffed, following his nose around the little metal canopy hanging over the bus stop to find the omega sitting on the bench, curled up into a little ball with his arms wrapped tight around his knees.

Jack paused, watching, reading the situation. There was barely anybody else around, and a quick look told him there wasn’t a bus coming either. The omega hadn’t noticed him yet, too busy sniffling and rubbing his face against his soaked jeans, so if Jack wanted to, he could easily make an escape and hurry on to his apartment. After all, Jack hadn’t gotten to his position within Hyperion by caring about other people’s feelings.

But the sad, pitiful little smell drifting off of the omega tugged at his reluctant heart.

“Uh, hey,” Jack started, only for the omega to practically jump out of his skin at the sound. Jack frozen instinctively holding up his hands as the omega whirled to look at him, trying to show he wasn’t a threat.

“Sorry! Sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out,” he quickly apologized as the omega’s reddened, tearful eyes looked him up and down. His expression flickered between annoyance, fear, and confusion before settling on something Jack might describe as a cross between a ruffled peacock and a wet puppy dog.

“What…what do you want?” The omega stammered as he quickly scrubbed the tears spilling down his puffy cheeks.

“I just….you look pretty wrecked, and I just wanted to….I dunno, I just wanted to make sure you’re like. Okay, or something?” Jack didn’t know why he was suddenly getting so tongue-tied. It was just a stupid crying omega.

“Okay…” The omega snorted dryly. “I wish I could say that…”

Jack noted the kid’s shoes, specifically the broken heel on the right one. Suddenly the ripped jeans and bloodied knee made a lot more sense.

“Took a lil’ tumble, huh?” Jack pointed towards the young man’s leg. “Looks pretty banged up. Can you even put weight on that thing?”

“I…it’s really none of your business…” the omega grumbled, even as he untangled himself from the little ball. Jack watched as he stretched out his legs and tried to put pressure on the injured leg, only for a cry of pain to rip through him as he winced back into a curled position. The agonized whine yanked at Jack’s heart, spurring him instinctively closer. Before he could stop himself he’d already put his hand on the young man’s shoulder, feeling him twitch underneath his palm, though Rhys didn’t look up from where he’d cupped his hand over his mouth.

“Crap, kiddo, you didn’t have to…. _jeez_ …” Jack didn’t know if he could or  _should_  touch the omega any further, considering the pained reaction.

“I….I think I twisted my ankle or….I…I don’t know…” The omega mumbled miserably into his hands, and as Jack watched new tears welled up in his eyes, quickly spilling over as sobs leaked between his fingers. “I don’t know what to  _do_  anymore.”

“H-Hey, don’t, come on.” Jack glanced about, trying to think of a solution as his instincts bugged him to  _help._ “You know what, I…I live right here just….just let me take you up to dry or something, ‘kay?” Jack tried, pointing down the street in the vague direction of his apartment complex as the omega wiped his eyes, sniffling between his hands.

“Okay…” He agreed pathetically.

“There’s a good boy,” Jack crooned as he rubbed the omega’s shoulder, sticking out his hand. “Name’s Jack, by the way. Who do I have the honor of rescuing today?”

That earned him a weak little chuckle as the omega limply returned the handshake.  _Jeez_ , his hands were cold.

“It’s Rhys…can we go inside? I’m f-freezing out here…” He stuttered, Jack’s comparatively warm grip startling him.The alpha let go and patted his knee, before crouching down close to the shivering omega.

“Sure. C’mon, kiddo, I got ya. Just put all your weight on me, all right?” Jack coached as he slid his arm underneath Rhys’ armpits as he crouched down next to him. Rhys slumped against him, his arm curling around Jack’s shoulder as the alpha hoisted him to his feet. Rhys wobbled on his one foot, the other curled up above the ground. Jack grunted softly at the added weight but held firm, more than strong enough to support the omega’s fairly light build.

Hobbling the last couple feet to the door to his penthouse was a little bit harder, and Jack considered more than once just hefting the omega up off his feet and carrying him the rest of the way. But Rhys was already pretty skittish and shaken, and Jack worried he might flip his lid if he decided to pick him up. So he bore through it, taking each stumbling step one at a time as Rhys hopped along as best as he could, until they got to the front door and quickly made their way inside and out of the rain.

Water dripped off the poor soaking omega as Jack guided him into the elevator that would take them to the very top of the apartment where Jack’s unit sat. He felt thankful for the mirrored walls of the elevator, letting him rest Rhys against them as they rode up to Jack’s floor. The proximity of his apartment with the elevator shaft had long been a point of disgruntlement on Jack’s part, but for the first time, he was grateful, considering he wouldn’t have to lug Rhys around much further.

“Almost there, kiddo,” Jack grunted as they thumped the last couple of feet to the apartment entrance. He leaned Rhys against the doorjamb briefly to grab his keys from his pocket and jimmy them into the lock. He pushed the door open and re-adjusted Rhys into his grip, supporting him inside.  

Jack’s apartment wasn’t exactly the most comfortable place in the world. There was only a single couch in the living room, and it wasn’t particularly soft, as Jack far preferred the aesthetic of sleek leather to cotton or suede. The pillows on his bed were fluffy and comfortable, though, and he had a couple of extra blankets in the hall closet that’d help warm the little omega up.

He supported Rhys until they got to the couch, where Jack slowly eased him down, sure to keep the weight off his ankle until he was nice and settled.

“Just uh…stay put, all right? I’m gonna grab you some things to help you warm up.” He awkwardly patted Rhys’ knee before excusing himself to gather the blankets and pillows and anything else he felt the omega might need.

He didn’t know if Rhys would find it weird to use bedding that smelled like a strange alpha, but the entire apartment probably smelled like him, so there was little he could do about it. He grabbed one armful of pillows from the bed before retrieving three heavy wool blankets from the hall closet. For good measure, he snatched the unicorn plush he’d ostensibly bought for Angel but ended up keeping himself when she’d outgrown it.

Who knew. Maybe the kid would get a kick out of it. It smelled like lavender and Jack had found it helped to calm him down when he’d had a crappy day.

Rhys had shifted to lean against the arm of the couch by the time Jack returned. He dumped most of the pillows and blankets onto the coffee table as he tried to figure out how exactly to situate them around Rhys’ form. The omega tried to help, but despite the warmth of the apartment his fingers were still pretty numb and cold, so Jack took over and tucked the blankets around Rhys’ until he was nice and wrapped up like a sad little burrito.

Jack planted his hands on his hips, admiring his work.

“There. Now that you’re warming up…just sit tight. I’m gonna make you some hot chocolate and fix you right up.”

Honestly, Jack could’ve probably gotten away with just warming the omega up and maybe elevating the ankle, but the promises just kept spilling out of his mouth before he could stop them. Just as he thought about taking it back, Rhys snuffled and nodded with a tiny “ _okay_ ,” so Jack set off to the kitchen to make the omega’s drink.

He didn’t have hot chocolate mix, but he had a fancy milk chocolate bar he’d picked up out of curiosity from the grocery store the other day and a half used jug of whole milk, as well as some whipped cream leftover from when he and Nisha had experimented with food in bed a whole…god,  _months_  ago. He hoped it was still good. The last thing he wanted was to poison the already vulnerable and injured omega in his care.

Care…christ, he wasn’t a frikkin  _nurse_. This was why he didn’t date omegas. They  _did_  things to the brain. Made it so he couldn’t think straight.  

He melted the chocolate in the double boiler, whisking in the milk as soon as it got nice and silky. A sweet, rich smell filled the kitchen, though Jack could still make out the scent of his guest in the other room.

Jack sprayed some whipped cream on his tongue, testing its freshness before using it to top off Rhys’ mug. He crushed another square of chocolate with the flat of a knife and sprinkled it atop the mound of cream, for good measure.

It was a hot cocoa as handsome as he was, and definitely good enough to lift the rain-soaked omega’s spirits. Jack proudly strode back out into the living room, where Rhys still stared numbly at the wall.

“C’mon, princess, this’ll do you good,” Jack crooned as he waiting for Rhys to respond, carefully depositing the mug into his hands when he finally blinked and nodded at the alpha.

Rhys looked down at the mound of whipped cream rising up from the cup. His nostrils flare softly, sniffing at the decadent aroma. Jack watched closely as Rhys brought the hot cocoa up to his mouth, a slip of pink tongue popping out to lick the peak of the whipped cream up off the mound.

Rhys smacked his lips softly, before taking a generous sip of the drink proper. Jack rubbed his hands nervously together as he watched Rhys swallow it down.

“It’s good, yeah?” He finally asked, unable to read the omega’s expression.

“Yeah.” Rhys licked the whipped cream off his lips, smacking them with a soft smile that had Jack’s heart leaping.

He placed his hand firmly on his chest.  _Easy_.

“Anything else I can do for you, kiddo? Hot chocolate, blankets, a nice warm place to hunker down in—should consider yourself pretty damn spoiled, huh?”

“I…I guess so…” Rhys carefully cradled the mug to his chest, like it were his last match out in a snowstorm. “Thank you…you didn’t have to do all this…”

“Yeah, well. Gotta get my one good deed for the year outta the way, right?” Jack joked, before his eye fell to Rhys’ ankle poking out from underneath the hems of the blankets.

“Should probably do something about that leg though, hm? I mean…if you don’t mind…” Rhys blinked, eyes dazed, before they followed Jack’s finger.

“Oh. Right,” Rhys chuckled weakly after taking another sip. “It’s funny…I almost totally forgot about it…”

“You forgot about your twisted ankle?” Jack raised an eyebrow. “God damn…I must make a pretty mind-blowing hot chocolate.”

“It…I mean it  _is_  really good.” Rhys licked his lips.  _God_ , he looked cute. Jack just wanted to eat him up.

He sniffed and shook his head, trying to clear those thoughts out of his mind, but he was fighting a losing battle against his more sensitive instincts.  _All right_ —he compromised with himself. Take care of the ankle, then Rhys will be all fixed and ready to go so Jack could move onto his  _actual_  plans for the evening.

“Lemme see what I have in my medicine cabinet….or if you think you can handle a lil bit of cold after what you’ve been through, I can try to put some ice on it.”

“I…I think I can handle some ice. If you don’t mind,” Rhys quickly added.

“Sure, sure. Just sit tight, kitten, I’ll be right back.”

Jack had a couple of cold packs on hand prepared for when Angel’s mom dropped her off for weekends. The kid was going through an outdoors-y phase and always wanted to go to the park or hike a trail, and no trip like that would be complete without a decent picnic lunch.

He found a roll of gauze in the medicine cabinet to help hold the pack against Rhys’ ankle, and with his arms full of supplies he finally returned to the omega, who’d just about drained half of his hot chocolate and looked a lot more lively and rosy-cheeked than beforehand.

Jack crouched down between the coffee table and couch, carefully sliding his hand under Rhys’ calf and lifting it up until his foot rested on the glass surface of the table. He removed the kid’s broken shoe and soggy sock, setting them off to the side as he got to work. He carefully wrapped the cold pack around the most swollen part of Rhys’ ankle, holding it there as he wrapped the gauze secure but not too tight around it, tearing off the end with his teeth and pinning it down with the little metal clip.

“It’s a bit of a hack-job, but it should do for now.” Jack carefully patted Rhys’ knee before straightening up, glancing over everything he’d done for the omega. He felt pretty good about himself, and Rhys looked far happier than he had all sad and alone and wet on the bench.

“Thanks…” Rhys whispered softly, voice still hoarse from the crying but far more relaxed than before. Jack could hear the gratitude laced through his words, and it warmed his heart and boosted his pride.

He really was a  _damn_  good alpha.

Jack ended up putting on the television for Rhys, not sure exactly what to do with him now that he’f fixed him up and kept him warm. Rhys watched in silence, curling up underneath his blankets as Jack sat on the other side of the couch from him, more watching the omega than the program.

He checked his phone for the time. It was nearing six thirty already. Surely the kid had a family or a mate or a roomie or something who might be wondering where he’d gone. He hadn’t seen Rhys try to text anyone all night, though. Maybe the kid had no where else to go.

Not that that was Jack’s problem. Nice as it had been to take care of Rhys, he still had  _plans_  he wanted to get to. And he hadn’t exactly been planning a dinner for two.

Jack excused himself to go to the bathroom, just to get a little space to think without omega scent twisting everything all around.

As nice a guest as Rhys had been, Jack just couldn’t have a strange omega staying in his house  _all_  night. It was weird. And Angel’s mom was dropping her off early the next morning. He didn’t want to have to explain why he had another man over to her if he didn’t have to.

It wasn’t a dick move, not really. Rhys was dry, bandaged-up, and full of gourmet hot chocolate. And Jack was already planning to pay for his ride home and help the kid back down the stairs. Hell, he’d already considered giving the omega one of his spare umbrellas as a token of goodwill. He’d done more than enough that could have been reasonably expected of him, anyone would admit that. Most people out there would’ve just breezed by and totally ignored an injured omega crying on a bus stop—instincts or not, city-life tended to give them all tunnel-vision—but he hadn’t. He’d offered up his home and his food and his attention for a total stranger, and he felt pretty damn good about his heroics.

He rinsed off his hands, shaking the remaining soap from his fingers. He nodded to himself in the mirror.  _All right_. Time to call the kid an Uber and wish him the best.

Jack’s mouth opened as he re-entered the living room, all ready to tell Rhys he needed to book it, only to find the omega slumped against the arm of the couch, drooling all over the pillow hugged to his face as he lightly snored.

Jack froze in surprise, almost feeling  _affronted_  at the turn of events. Just when he’d been about to take action, Rhys had the audacity to fall asleep.

Jack knew he could just wake him up and tell him to take a hike—after all, it was  _his_  place, and Rhys couldn’t just shack up in here just ‘cause he was tired.

But as he crept closer, and that damn omega scent settled nice and content inside his nose, he got lost in the pretty features of Rhys’ face. The pink lips slightly parted, the fine little lashes that kissed his cheeks. The way his hair fell a little messy around his face as it dried from the rain.

Jack scowled at the warmth in his heart, but he couldn’t stop himself as he slid his arms underneath Rhys’ sleeping form, carefully lifting him up to rest against his chest. The omega stirred only slightly to nuzzle against Jack’s chest, right above his hammering heart as he carried Rhys to the bedroom. It’d be a lot warmer and more comfortable there than the couch, he reasoned. And big enough that he could keep a respectable distance between them, unless Rhys turned out to be a cuddler.  

Jack blushed as he carefully slid Rhys underneath the sheets, the omega instantly curling up in the warmth and comforting scent as a sleepy smile curled over his lips. Jack slapped himself lightly on the cheek, trying to clear his head, but to no avail. He was stuck.

_Oh well_.

Hopefully Angel wouldn’t ask  _too_  many questions.


End file.
